Rare French Globe Clock (1895)

Case: The brass circular base and turned cast column support the globe, dial and the silvered brass ball that represents the sun. The detailed six inch globe is labeled in English, has longitude and latitude lines and has 'Patent 19460, The Empire Clock, cable' on an oval label.

Dial: A silvered fretted marker is secured at the top by a knurled shaped finial and can be adjusted to indicate the time at a chosen meridian against an engraved, silvered equatorial dial with Roman numerals for the hours.

Movement: The eight-day time only movement is housed in the base, has a lever escapement and is wound, set and adjusted out the bottom.

Notes: Stamped into the bottom plate are 'Made in France', and 532'. The bottom also carries the later inscriptions 'Bon Bon' and 'Bill Smallback'.

Early examples were made in France for the English market and retailed by established firms like Smith and Sons. Apparently Smith and Sons became more prominent as the word 'cable' in the earlier labels was replaced with 'Smith and Sons' at some point in the production.